Hellblade: A Visual Representation of Psychosis

“A very dark yet powerful experience. Hellblade masterfully demonstrates fighting inner demons."

Have you ever played a game that completely changed your perspective on something? Alternatively, has a game ever given you perspective on something you previously had no experience in understanding? This is the case with Ninja Theory’s Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice.

Many story and character-driven games do a decent job of re-inventing the typical hero’s journey archetype by adding in new ways to create conflict, which in-turn calls the hero/heroin to embark on a journey, resolve the conflict, and denouement with the positive or negative consequences. However, few stories in video games incorporate specific character traits to the hero/heroin that directly influence how the player experiences the story. Hellblade is a shining example of this, and I believe this approach to a truly immersive gaming experience not only promotes a new way to present a story, but it conveys a deeper message as well.

Story, Setting, and Characters

In Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, you play as Senua, a Celtic warrior who quests to the land of the Northmen (essentially Vikings) to enter the mythological Norse land of the dead, Helheim. Senua wishes to free the soul of her companion Dillion from Hela, the evil creature said to guard the souls lost to Helheim. Although the quest seems treacherous enough along with the numerous battles awaiting her on her journey to Helheim, Senua’s greater struggle is her own internal conflict through psychosis (schizophrenia).

Psychosis is a condition where the victim hears voices in their head that are not theirs and sees things that are not there. In order to display this characteristic, players use headphones during gameplay so they may experience the binaural sound design (three-dimensional sound) to hear the voices that plague Senua. Throughout the game, the psychosis refers to the “darkness” Senua must face in order to succeed in her mission. These voices in Senua’s head end up being a proactive quasi-character within the gameplay. The voices consistently scream at her to turn back from dangerous situations or poke fun at her when they believe she is doomed to fail at an impossible task. This creates an effect that not only displays the constant confusion Senua faces from her condition, but also it incorporates the player into this world of confusion along with Senua. It creates the sense that you are never truly alone, even though Senua is the only living person seen throughout the entirety of the game.

The environment itself highlights the motif of loneliness further. The broad and barren landscapes of the Northmen create senses of dread and macabre that contribute to the fact that no human person is around to assist you while you traverse the land of the dead. It contrasts the voices in Senua’s head and the visions Senua sees when she experiences an episode because of her condition. Furthermore, the use of light and dark reflects on the emotional sense of hopelessness and fear the game continuously pours onto the player. Inside Senua’s head, it is pitch black with only the voices creating a din of confusion and discouragement to lead you through her episode.

In the meantime, you must defeat the Denizens of Hel. At the start of the game, Senua must unlock the gate that leads to Helheim. The gate will only unlock after both Surt (the Fire Giant) and Valravn (the God of Illusion) perish. Fortunately enough for Senua, which is rare for this game, she meets Druth near the beginning of her quest. Druth is the soul of an escaped slave of the Northmen. Because of her condition, Senua is able to commune with him and he becomes the well of exposition throughout the game. Druth helps guide you on your journey towards Surt and Valravn (and eventually Hela) as well as presents mythology of the Norse Gods to Senua through lorestones hidden within the game. I especially thought the addition of Druth to this game was genius design. Druth adds to what seems to be a fictional land of myth and fantasy by contributing non-fictional lore the Norse Vikings believed in and catalogued during their existence between the late eighth and early 11th century. Watch any of the “Thor” movies and you will understand what I’m talking about. I feel the addition of this detail was another way the game immerses the player by creating a sense of surrealism. You know the world you are playing in doesn’t exist, but the sprinkling-in of Norse facts and legend makes you question it. In the end, it makes you even more invested into the main story.

Gameplay and Themes

The gameplay is consistent with the previous features of the game design in its immersive quality. There is no HUD. There is no tutorial. Players have to quickly learn the fighting mechanics as the demons come from every direction starting from the first battle sequence. Multiple demons will attack you at the same time, so it’s important to learn how to use the third person perspective to your benefit. The right analog stick allows for Senua to focus her attention on a different attacker. In my opinion, these battle sequences are some of the most difficult parts of the game, even more so than the solo battles against Surt or Valravyn. Armed with only a sword, the battles can get quite overwhelming without a decent strategy, however, Senua is also equipped with a mirror designed to help her “focus.” When Senua focuses during a battle, she can slow down time in order to gain the upper hand on her opponents.

My only real nitpick of the game comes from this category. The demons themselves were a good reminder that Senua is in a hostile place, but some battles would be drawn out too long and needed several respawns in order to progress in the story. This had a tendency to take me out of the game’s immersive environment to where I could only focus on defeating a wave of demons (almost like a hoard of zombies who know how to fight). However, this is a minor frustration that really doesn’t take too much away from the gaming experience as a whole.

The game also slowly introduces a puzzle system to add more layers to the gameplay. In order to progress, you must search for ciphers and runes that unlock doors, or in other cases you must find the correct perspective to rebuild structures. The developers based this mechanic on the way Senua perceives reality. Perception is a common motif throughout the game as the line between what is real and what is not blurs exponentially as you near the end of the game. Each puzzle takes on new depth and meaning, and it is interesting to see how the puzzle mechanic explores the idea of perception.

The dark scenes in Hellblade are truly haunting and translate into equally dark themes. Senua has visions of her mother burning at the stake by the hand of her father. She sees the body of her dead companion strung up. Furthermore, the atmosphere of the world and the atmosphere within Senua’s head are meant to parallel one another as to symbolize each as hopeless. Dillion becomes her only scapegoat of hope. Her belief that she can overcome her “darkness” stems from the symbol of what Dillion represents. This idea ends up determining Senua’s fate, and its implementation in this game is why Hellblade has quickly become one of my personal all-time favorite gaming experiences.

Conclusion

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is a masterpiece because of what it represents. Not only does it push the envelope on what a story-driven game can be, but it also starts a conversation among people about mental health. Psychosis is a real disorder that real people have to deal with, and this game gives the player a front-row seat into the mind of people who are victims of this condition. The internal turmoil is just as threatening as the external. Although these events are specific to Senua and perhaps engineered to the extreme, the consequences are similar in more ways than one. I received perspective from this game, and it changed me as a person. I came away with a better understanding of those who suffer from mental illness.

Senua is a character who knows true suffering. However, in the midst of her constant suffering, she STILL has hope. The message of hope is symbolized through Dillion. This was Senua’s hope, and it is a reminder that, no matter what, we still cling to that tiny shred of hope amidst our darkness. And overall, this message was the center-piece for a game that is a prestigious example of atmosphere, story-telling, and immersive gameplay mechanics.